1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recorder for recording or printing characters on a paper sheet, and more particularly to a portable word processor or electronic typewriter.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows a conventional portable word processor 100, which includes a housing 101. Keys are arranged in a key entry area 102, which is formed at the top of a front portion of the housing 101. A display unit 103 includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying the characters entered through the area 102, etc., and is supported pivotably on the housing 101. While the processor 100 is used, as shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 103 can be held in an open position in the rear of the entry area 102. While the processor 100 is carried, the display unit 103 can be closed over the entry area 102. A print unit 104 is supported in the housing 101. A feed tray 105 is positioned in the rear of the display unit 103, and supported pivotably on the housing 101. While the processor 100 is used, the tray 105 can be held in a backwardly inclined position relative to the top of the housing 101, as shown in FIG. 5. The tray 105 in this position can be stacked with cut sheets of paper, which can be fed toward the print unit 104. The tray 105 can also be held in a closed position on the top of the housing 101.
If a sheet printed at the print unit 104 made a U-turn to be discharged in front of the feed tray 105, it would be curved forcedly and become curly.
As shown in FIG. 5, discharge rollers 106 and a discharge port 108 are positioned in a lower portion of the housing 101. A horizontal discharge tray 107 is fitted to the bottom of the housing 101. The printed sheet P is discharged forward through the port 108 and between the housing 101 and the tray 107.
The discharge port 108 is positioned under the key entry area 102. The horizontal distance D between the port 108 and the front end of the housing 101 is shorter than the length of an ordinary cut sheet of paper. Therefore, the front end of an ordinary cut sheet printed and discharged onto the tray 107 protrudes from the front end of the housing 101 so that the sheet can be taken out easily from the tray 107. The sheet end may protrude even while the sheet is printed.
At the same time that the operator is entering characters at the entry area 102, a sheet of paper might be printed and discharged. In this case, however, the front end of the discharged sheet P might strike against the operator's wrists. It is therefore impossible in practice to perform printing and key entry in parallel by using the word processor 100.